She said: "The decrease ... reflects the commitment and hard work being carried out by the dedicated members of An Garda Síochána throughout the organisation every day of the week.

"The rise in homicide offences is due to increases in dangerous driving leading to death so it is critical that An Garda Síochána, the RSA, statutory and voluntary bodies, and the public continue to work together to make our roads safer.

"We must remain vigilant and we are constantly monitoring emerging crime trends and patterns so that when increases in crime groups occur we can put in place targeted and co-ordinated measures to reduce them."